Department of Agriculture
Annual backlog, FY2010–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2009 – Sept 30, 2025). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 22 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2025 (Sept 30, 2025)
Agencies report days pending in working days, counted from the day the request was received; the years column converts to calendar years. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Working days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2019-09-03 | 1,519 | 6.1 |
| #2 | 2019-11-01 | 1,477 | 5.9 |
| #3 | 2019-12-26 | 1,441 | 5.8 |
| #4 | 2020-01-13 | 1,430 | 5.7 |
| #5 | 2020-01-28 | 1,420 | 5.7 |
| #6 | 2020-02-10 | 1,411 | 5.6 |
| #7 | 2020-02-14 | 1,407 | 5.6 |
| #8 | 2020-02-18 | 1,406 | 5.6 |
| #9 | 2020-02-19 | 1,405 | 5.6 |
| #10 | 2020-03-06 | 1,393 | 5.6 |
Exemption invocations, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 22,523 | 21,982 | 5,669 |
| FY2024 | 24,722 | 21,113 | 6,386 |
| FY2023 | 16,605 | 16,242 | 2,750 |
| FY2022 | 17,069 | 17,166 | 2,406 |
| FY2021 | 20,956 | 21,815 | 5,998 |
| FY2020 | 22,810 | 23,103 | 6,851 |
| FY2019 | 26,458 | 26,094 | 6,957 |
| FY2018 | 36,547 | 35,482 | 6,624 |
| FY2017 | 25,461 | 24,006 | 5,555 |
| FY2016 | 23,870 | 23,134 | 4,418 |
| FY2015 | 20,132 | 19,559 | 4,038 |
| FY2014 | 19,864 | 19,243 | 3,470 |
| FY2013 | 22,580 | 21,556 | 2,845 |
| FY2012 | 22,175 | 21,686 | 1,839 |
| FY2011 | 23,065 | 22,939 | 1,347 |
| FY2010 | 20,368 | 19,962 | 1,608 |
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